Shimen Cave (aka Shimendong) is a sea cave on the Northwest Coast of Taiwan, in Shimen District of New Taipei. Its name (literally "stone gate") is the namesake for Shimen District in New Taipei. It is one of the major natural attractions along Taiwan's north coast. 

Background:
The sandstone that forms the Shimen Cave formation was created between 10 and 20 million years ago, and was pushed out of the sea along with northern Taiwan thousands of years ago. 
The cave itself was formed by wave erosion on the cave.
Shimen Cave was named a protected natural sight in 1933 during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, but has not had the same status since after WWII. Now two marble tablets sit on either side of the cave, put there by government leaders during the ROC martial law period.

Hours:
​24/7

Price:
Free

How to get there:
By Car/Scooter: Take provincial Highway 2 from either Tamsui or Keelung North to Shimen. The Shimen Cave sits on the very northern edge of Shimen District.
By Bus: Take Keelung bus from either Danshui MRT station or Keelung TRA station.
You can also take the yellow and white North Coast Shuttle Bus to Shimendong station.

Map:
Please see below:

Elephant Trunk Rock is a rock shaped like its name in the Shenao area of Ruifang District, New Taipei City. There are also many interesting rock formations in the area. It is one of the most recognizable rock formations on the north coast and a popular location for, kayakers, snorkelers, and instagrammers. 

Background:
The sandstone and sedimentary that forms the Elephant Rock formation was created between 10 and 20 million years ago, and was pushed out of the sea along with northern Taiwan thousands of years ago. 
The Elephant's head was formed by easily eroding sandstone, with the area under the trunk being eroded away by the sea and waves. 
Elephant Rock is so named because it looks like an elephant.
The area around Elephant Rock was a protected military base until the year 2000, after which civilians were allowed to freely visit.
Kayaking and Snorkeling are also popular activities near the Elephant Rock.

Hours:
24/7

Price:
Free

How to get there:
By Car/Scooter: Drive to Keelung, then from downtown take provincial highway 2 east about 10 KM until you reach the Shenziao harbor, and there is some paid parking if you drive to the very end, which will put you closest to Elephant Trunk Rock.
​By Train/Bus: Take the TRA to Badouzi (八斗子） station, then walk about 1 KM east until you reach the elephant rock on the coast. 

Map:
Please see below:

Daqiu Island is a small island in Matsu (Lienchiang County), Taiwan that is home to hundreds of wild Sika Deer, and is a "deer watching paradise.“ Once home to a small village, then ROC military base, this island is now home to only one man that takes care of the hundreds of deer on the small island. It is a worth while day trip for anyone visiting the Matsu Islands.

Background:
Thousands of years ago, stone aged peoples once inhabited the Matsu Islands, including Daqiu Island itself. These stone aged people later disappeared. 
The Matsu islands were inhabited again around theSong Dynasty (990 - 1200 AD) by Chinese Fisherman, the descendants of whom still inhabit the islands today. 
Daqiu Island literally means "Big Hill" in Chinese. This is because the entire island is one big hill. 
Around 200 years ago, these fisherman started to inhabit Daqiu Island. At its height in 1970, the island had 45 households and 280 inhabitants.
​Due to poor quality of life, over fishing, and inconvenient transportation, most the of the inhabitants slowly moved to other islands in Mastu or Taiwan.
In 1990, the last family on the island, surnamed Chen, moved off the island, leaving only soldiers and a military base as inhabitants.
In 1996, the military base on Daqiu Island closed down, leaving it an uninhibited ghost island. 
In 2009, one man decided to move back to the island and start a tourist business based on the deer living on the island. 
Currently there are regular ferry boats to Daqiu from Nangan during the summer, but in winter the boats must be chartered. 

Why are there Sika Deer on Daqiu Island?
Sika Deer were originally raised in Matsu during the Chinese Civil War (1950-1970s) as a food supply for soldiers to eat. However the soldiers did not like deer meat that much, and as tensions with China eased, the practice was discontinued. The 13 deer that remained were sent to Daqiu Island in 1981 and left to become wild. Now there are around 200 deer living on the island. 

When to go:
We recommend going In Spring to early Summer (April to June). If you go earlier it will not be so hot during the day, and you will be able to see the Blue Tear phosphorescent microbes in the water at night all around Matsu.
In the winter it is cold and windy, so we do not recommend going then. 

How to get there: 
Public Ferry from Nangan Fu'Ao Harbor (福澳港) (April to October):
350 NT round trip per person （Stops at Baisha Harbor in Nangan)
Nangan departure times: 9:50 AM, 1:30 PM, Daqiu departure times: 12:10 Noon, 3:40 PM
Trip takes about 20 minutes.
Public Ferry from Beigan Qiaozi Harbor (橋仔港)  (May to October):
300 NT round trip per person
Beigan departure times: 8:30 AM, 2:30 PM, Daqiu departure times: 10:30 AM, 4:30 PM
https://hotels.matsu.idv.tw/ferry.php 
Trip takes about 10 minutes. 
Chartered ferries: Around 300 NT per round trip.
Ask your hostel in Beigan (like we did) or try the following phone numbers (in Chinese):龍福號娛樂漁船：馬祖北竿鄉塘岐村273-8號
電話0836-55077、0836-55661、傳真：0836-55662
梅花公主1號娛樂漁船：馬祖北竿鄉塘岐村272號
電話0910-884660、0836-55518
大雄壹號娛樂漁船：馬祖北竿鄉塘岐村240號
電話0836-55036、0928-146051

Map:
​Please see below:

Yehliu is perhaps the most famous geological park in Taiwan, with its most famous landmark being the Queen's Head rock. These rock formations have been forming for thousands of years through erosion of soft sandstone due to wind and water. Hurry and see these formations soon before they are gone forever!

Background:
The sandstone that forms the Yehliu formation was created between 10 and 20 million years ago, and was pushed out of the sea along with northern Taiwan thousands of years ago. 
The Queen's head is formed by two layers of sandstone, one soft fast eroding layer on bottom and a harder layer on top. This kind of sandstone formation can be seen around the world and is known as a hoodoo. The Queen's head was named after Queen Elizabeth I, because it is thought to look like her. 
The head is eroding .2 to .5 CM per year and is expected to fall at any time!
The name Yehliu comes from the Spanish name for the area "Putno Diablos" which was then also used by the Dutch, and transliterated by the Chinese settlers in the area as "Yehliu" in Chinese. 

Yehliu Ocean world is the largest aquarium in northern Taiwan and has one of the few outdoor sea life amphitheaters in Taiwan. The facility features an indoor aquarium and outdoor show that is geared toward children.  

Hours:
Yehliu Geopark: 8 AM to 5 PM in winter (tickets not sold after 4:30)
8 AM to 6 PM in summer (tickets not sold after 5:30)
Yehliu Ocean World: 9 AM to 5 PM

Price:
Yehliu Geopark: 80 NT per person.
Yehliu Ocean World: 330 NT per person (children are sometimes free)
​
Can I touch the rocks?
Don't you dare touch the rocks! 

How to get there:
​By Bus: There are inter-city buses that leave hourly from Taipei Main Station and Taipei City Hall to Yehliu. 
By Car/Scooter: Take Provincial highway 2 west out of Keelung, and keep going until you reach Wanli. The turnoff to  Yehliu comes right after Wanli beach. 

Map:
Please see below:

A few weeks ago my Spark Drone Crashed. I posted a few photos which gained quite a lot of interest, so I have decided to share the whole blog about the crash here. Also as a fellow internet user I know that is helpful to post this kind of crash information on the internets for the use of others.